http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27-707431,00.html Speaks of how well the MLS is doing, the popularity of soccer in America and our ability to produce better and better players. Nothing earth shattering, but its nice to get pub in England.
He said Howard is joining Man U on July 1? I haven't heard any news about a transfer being official, and my searches on the Man U and MLS home pages turned up nothing.
i liked what Gazidis said at the end about the league's finances as being steady. Hopefully the league is stable enough to turn a profit soon and ensure it's continuity.
Bob Bradley told me at the Metros/Wizards game last weekend that the deal is done and Howard is gone after the Confed Cup is over. July 1 makes sense, since thats when the summer transfer window opens.
I might have to bookmark this in case I'm again faced with stupid threads about how England doesn't give US football the respect it 'deserves'. It seems to have shut up all those who feel everso victimised though.
Most of the reports said its about $3 million US, so I assume its around there somewhere, probably with a clause that the MLS will get more based upon Howard's proformance.
I wonder why there's no news of it on either the MLS or Man U sites. You'd figure a multi-million dollar/pound deal like that would be pretty big news.
Nice article. On the topic of Timmy's European Vacation... it has also been said that the deal is contigent on Howard getting a work permit. If Howard starts all the US games in the Confed Cup (a likely scenario) that will bolster a work permit appeal. Or, there is also the Hungary angle for a work permit, which is another potential route. Either way the transfer window doesn't open until July 1 and there are lots of reasons why a preliminary agreement today could wait until then to be signed, sealed and delivered.
"surveys have estimated that there are 70 million “socceraffected” men, women and children nationwide" Socceraffected? Sounds a little scary.
It seems to be going the right way...... Well a good persentage of the MLS players are young americans a huge difference from the difunt NASPL wich it was compose by too many foreings players, but still is room for improvement the ideal would be 2 FOREING PLAYERS PER TEAM, MLS INCREASE OF STADIUMS CONSTRUCTION, BETTER PICTURE ON THE NEWSPAPERS ( always the picture of somebody using the head)
I am a regular reader of the Guardian online and haved noticed a surprising amount of coverage of both MLS and the U.S. national team on their sports page as well.
As if we needed England's approval to show that we have arrived. I'd rather have Brazil's, Germany's and Italy's before I gave a rat's arse about England's 'respect'.
Uh, actually, I would rather have the respect of our fellow Americans in the mainstream before anyone else's. That would be a real success.
I listen to some sports talk radio and they are all saying that hockey could have a 2 year lockout over labor issues after the end of next season. While this would directly benefit the MLS (since they play opposite seasons), it could bump it up to the number four spot in the list of mainstream sports in the US. I don't like moving up that way, but if that is the only path, I will take it.
Yeh, but I bet had The Times taken the piss out of MLS you'd have been one of the first to whine about it.
This was by far the best and most respectful article I've ever read in any British publication about U.S. soccer in general and MLS in particular. However, they were merely fair and open-minded, no gushing or fawning or elated enthusiam. That's never what I personally wanted - I'm just thrilled that they mention U.S. soccer's goal of winning in 2010 without a slew of patronizing statements about how foolish of a dream that is. Hats off to the Times.
I thought it was good piece but like whats the point. British papers really have no reason to cover American soccer. U.S. papers certainly do not cover England (with the exception of the WC).
Then kindly have a word with your fellow countrymen who constantly come on the England board (and others) whining about how we won't play the US in a friendly, blah blah blah.
Well, that's different. We want to beat England to the ground in a friendly, not necessarily earn their respect.